McCain and American Engagement: A Dangerous Option

by Gordon Adams  John McCain has been much celebrated for his stirring Philadelphia critique of the Trump foreign policy as “half baked, spurious nationalism.” Although he is absolutely right to blister Trump’s eccentric, tweet-driven non-strategy, McCain’s alternative policy would send… Continue Reading

The Doctrine of Armed Exceptionalism

by William Hartung Through good times and bad, regardless of what’s actually happening in the world, one thing is certain: in the long run, the Pentagon budget won’t go down. It’s not that that budget has never been reduced. At… Continue Reading

Our Hardliners Are Still Helping Iran’s Hardliners

by Paul R. Pillar The unrelenting urge among American politicians to keep punishing Iran—or more precisely, to be seen supporting steps with that objective—continues to work against sensible statecraft and U.S. interests in multiple respects. One of those respects concerns… Continue Reading